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Introduces the LG Ultrafine Evo 6K and explains why it stands out as a potential upgrade over the Studio Display. The speaker outlines what will be tested and previewed in the review.
This is the LG Ultrafine Evo 6K 32U9A monitor.And this is the first monitor that I've tested that actually feels like an upgrade over my studio display.The problem with most monitors is they offer a couple of great specs, but there's always a few things that hold them back.And that is not the case here.Not only do you get a nice pixel dense 6K display, but this is one of, if not the first monitor to support Thunderbolt 5.It has great connectivity, a versatile stand, and some other things that are very impressive.That being said, LG does make some bold claims about this that I do want to test out myself.So, today we're going to dive into all of that, plus my personal experience using it in my own workflow.Let's get into it.
Covers the monitor’s design, stand, build quality, and matte finish, then dives into panel technology and contrast performance. The speaker compares it directly with Apple displays and explains the benefits of IPS Black.
Hey everyone, Kyle Ericson here.Over the past couple of years, I've tested out quite a few monitors from affordable 4K options to more premium OLED or 5K models, but the two brands that I've used more in my own use over everything else havebeen Apple and LG.And there is a reason for that.Both of these brands just seem to have predictable, highquality products where I know what I'm getting.That's probably why to this day I still recommend the LG Ultrafine 4K to a lot of folks looking for an affordable monitor and why I always come back to the studio display in my own use even though it'salmost 4 years old now.So I had really high expectations for this LG Ultra Fine Evo 6K.This is technically a 31.5 in IPS black panel with a 6144x 3456 resolution at 60 Hz and has a 244 pixel perinch density.
So, it's actually a touch better than the Apple retina display in that sense, which we're going to get into in a bit.But I want to kick things off starting with the design because it's the first thing that I was really impressed by.This Evo 6K has a premium look to it with straight edges, small bezels, and is just very sleek and minimal and definitely gives off an Appleike aesthetic.All the buttons and ports are on the back of the monitor and are easy to use, which I much prefer versus having something on the front that usually doesn't look great.And I really like the way the thin light silver frames the monitor and matches the stand, which is also fantastic.that looks quite similar to the tilt and height adjustable studio display stand.But unlike that stand, not only does this adjust for tilt and height, but it pivots as well if you want to use it in portrait orientation.
And if you'd rather not use it at all, this monitor is fully Vasa compatible, so you can remove it and put whatever mount on it you'd like.I do wish that they would have put some kind of cable management in this stand, and the movement of it isn't going to be as smooth as the Studio Display.I do find it to be a bit stiff with height adjustment.And the only metal portion of the stand and the monitor housing for that matter is the bottom piece.So, it's not as premium.But even with this being primarily a plastic shell, the overall build quality is outstanding where you don't see any uneven seams or irregularities, and it is very wellbuilt and sturdy.The 32U90A has a nice matte finish over the entire monitor, including the display that does a great job of reducing glare, although you will see a bit of that rainbow speckle over white content that you normally get on
matte screens that aren't present on glossy ones.But it's really not noticeable at all.And I do actually prefer the image on here over my studio display, which is pretty rare.Normally what happens on regular IPS panels is you get light that will bleed through from the backlight.Sometimes that can get really bad, especially around the edges of the panel where you'll see black or gray uniformity issues.And it also raises the overall black level, which is why even on the best IPS screens between 27 and 32 in, you're probably looking at around a,000 to1 contrast ratio, similar to the studio display or iMac.But IPS Black reduces those issues a lot, which is why you'll see up to a 2,000 to1 contrast ratio on the Evo 6K.That will generally give you a lot more depth and improve the black uniformity quite a bit.
You're never going to completely get away from it where you can see that I've got some slightly brighter areas, specifically around the upper left corner of this screen, but I literally never notice it outside of this specific test.And it is very good for a panel like this.
Discusses how the monitor performs in everyday creative work, including photo, thumbnail, and video editing. Also covers color accuracy, brightness, gamut coverage, and the limits of HDR.
With real world use in my own workflow, editing photos and thumbnails, and of course editing these videos, it's been an absolute joy to work on.The colors pop and look great and are very similar to Mac displays.I did find that the white balance had just a very slight green hue, which I had to adjust, but there is a lot more detail in the shadows on the Evo 6K versus the Studio Display.And especially with apps that have a lot of UI panels that take up space, the extra screen real estate I get with a bigger screen gives me a lot more breathing room and is much nicer to work with.The added depth from the better contrast is great for editing visuals and also for things like watching content.But specs- wise, you get great color accuracy as well.This is a true 10-bit panel that LG says will cover up to 98% of the P3 gamut with a peak brightness of 450 nits.
And in my own testing, that has been fairly accurate.Usually, these numbers are always a bit off, but my specific panel tested at 96% P3 coverage and 100% Adobe RGB coverage, which is super impressive.The brightness was actually a bit higher than the advertised 450 nits at 474 and combined with a matte finish is more than enough for indoor use even in fairly bright areas.I've honestly never seen a monitor with that high of Adobe RGB coverage.The best I've seen on a standalone monitor like this, I believe, was between 88 to 91%.And unlike the studio display, this does support HDR, although I wouldn't get overly excited about it.The picture might look a little bit better with HDR content, but it doesn't get bright enough to make it pop in the same way that an OLED or miniLEDD panel would.And I don't think that's why you're buying this monitor anyway.
But there are some intangibles in here that I think will make a much bigger difference.
Reviews the built-in speakers, Mac and PC compatibility, and the monitor’s menu and control options. It also explains the Thunderbolt 5 ports, USB hub features, KVM support, and included cables.
For starters, one thing that I've got to talk about are the speakers in this thing.Normally, when I review monitors that aren't made by Apple, I'm expecting the built-in speakers to basically be useless, but this is a first one where I could actually use the monitor audio alone without external speakers if I wantedto.Inside here are two 5 W speakers that have a surprising amount of depth and clarity.And if you're not worried about high-res or spatial audio, these provide fairly decent sound.The only thing that's a bit weird, at least on Mac, is you either have to adjust the volume through the monitor menus or install the LG Switch app that will allow you to use the native volume controls onthe keyboard via M control, but the native Mac OS volume slider will not work here.That being said, unlike Apple displays, the Evo 6K is fully compatible between Mac and PC.
You can technically get the studio display or the XDR6K to work on PC, but because those models don't have any buttons or built-in menus, you are pretty restricted in what you can adjust outside of Mac.But on here, you get a full menu system, so that's not an issue at all.And just like the sound, that LG Switch app lets me use the standard keyboard controls to adjust the brightness, but you will have to use a USBC connection for any of that to work.Now, if you'd rather use HDMI or display port, you have those options as well.And you can hook up multiple devices where a built-in KVM switch allows seamless switching between any of them using a single keyboard and mouse.On top of all of that functionality, the top Thunderbolt 5 port is quite versatile here with up to 96 watts of power delivery that can both send the display signal or data and power your laptop or MacBook, which
just reduces the amount of cables you have to have hooked up.And you'll also notice that you have four other USBC ports along the back.One is another Thunderbolt 5 port that I can daisy chain other monitors to, and the other three are all USB 3.2 2 Gen 2 ports that open up some additional hub functionality.Say if I want to connect other accessories, which can be handy for webcams or things that I don't necessarily want to connect to my Mac all the time.It's also worth noting that you don't need to have a Thunderbolt 5 capable machine to get this to work.You can still use USBC with a Thunderbolt 4 or USB 4 machine without any issues.And provided you have a USBC port and cables that support 6K resolution, it should display completely fine.The nice thing is LG does provide you with all the necessary cables where you get a Thunderbolt 5, HDMI, display port, and a standard USBC cable along with the power adapter.
My only complaint there is the power brick is fairly big, but having an external power brick like this is sometimes nicer because the display is less prone to noise and at least the power cable is removable unlike thestudio display which is not.
Summarizes the monitor’s strengths, minor drawbacks, and overall value at its price point. The speaker closes by asking viewers whether this 6K option is a better choice than Apple’s displays.
All in all, I've been super impressed with this monitor.I've been trying to find things that I can bring up that I don't like about it, but there are very few things that this doesn't do well.The picture quality is great.The speakers are respectable and the build quality and design are solid as well.It's not quite as seamless as an Apple display when it comes to some of the native functionality, which I don't think anyone would expect.And I suppose that you could make the case that for the price, maybe you could expect higherend build materials like aluminum over plastic.But at $2,000 USD or $26.99 Canadian, this is actually not a bad deal.Any 6K monitor, unless it's junk, is going to be expensive.And the thing is, if you were to get a 5K studio display with the same type of stand, it's going to be about the same price.
And the Evo 6K gives you more screen real estate, a better overall picture, and in my opinion, looks just as good design-wise, even though it's not made from aluminum.If you are considering picking one of these up yourself, I don't think that you're going to be disappointed.But I am curious what you guys think about this now that there are some decent 6K options outside of the XDR display that are a little more affordable.Do you think that these are a viable option or would you rather stick with a studio display or wait for the next iteration of display that Apple cooks up?Let me know in the comments down below.That's all I got for you today.I hope you found this video useful or enjoyable.If you did, feel free to hit that like button.If you want to see more techreated content or help me create an ambient monitor backlight that syncs with your unresolved feelings, please subscribe.
Thank you so much for watching and I will see you in the next upload.